Robert Harry Gillett

Bob was born on October 30, 1934 to Rowland and Harriet Gillett in Glen, Nebraska. Bob was the fifth of 13 children. His mother Harriet was the first in their family to come to know the Lord. She took all of her children to Sunday School and did what she could to send them to Bible camp. Bob was passionate about bringing people to Christ and dedicated his life to both his pursuit of ministry and his family.

Following high school, Bob attended Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, where he met the love of his life, Lydia J. Loewen. They married on August 25, 1956 and recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in August of 2021. Bob and Lydia went on to have six children, Wayne Harris Gillett (Tammie), Kelvin LeRoy Gillett (Leah), Brenda Kay Lundeen (Nathan), Marlis Fay Fenton (Stephan), Nolan Royce Gillett, and Bryce Lee Gillett (Jenn), 12 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Bob and Lydia began married life in Omaha, Nebraska and had their firstborn son on September 21, 1957. Their second son was born in Lincoln, Nebraska three years later on August 29, 1960. Bob started his years in ministry working with the American Sunday School Union as an itinerant Vacation Bible School and Bible Class leader. Early homes from which he traveled with the ASSU include Elko and Empire, Nevada and La Junta, Colorado where their first daughter was born on September 7, 1964.

The first pastoral call Bob received was to Calvary Chapel, a small congregation in Colome, South Dakota, where their second daughter arrived on April 10, 1968. Bob served several other congregations over the years to come including Orchard Park Mennonite Brethren Church and Faith Bible Church in Hutchinson, KS. During their time in Hutchinson, Bob and Lydia’s fifth child, Nolan Royce, was born in November 1971. Born with a heart defect that was unrepairable at that time, Nolan went to be with Jesus at the tender age of nine months. While still in Hutchinson, Bob and Lydia were blessed with their sixth and last child, another son, on June 24, 1974.

Following their time in Hutchinson, Bob and Lydia moved to Henderson, Nebraska where Bob served at Henderson Mennonite Brethren Church and then to Canton, South Dakota to pastor First Baptist Church. This was Bob’s last pastorate, but only the first stage of his life’s work to touch other’s lives for good.

After his retirement from pastoring, Bob and Lydia spent many years living on a farm outside of Hutchinson, Kansas, where Bob farmed and was also employed as an electrician and subsequently as a life insurance salesman with Modern Woodmen of America, which he continued for many years to follow.

Returning to the location of the start of their life together, Bob and Lydia moved back to Lincoln, Nebraska. Bob’s retirement jobs of driving the shuttle bus at the University of Nebraska and driving Molly the Trolley tours allowed him to continue to reach out to both local and international students and families to share the love and power of Jesus.

Bob and Lydia lived in Lincoln throughout retirement until their change of residence to Oxbow Living Center, an assisted living facility, in Ashland, Nebraska in April of 2018. Bob’s mental health had begun to decline and an emergency gall bladder surgery necessitated this move. During their time at Oxbow, they have welcomed several great-grandchildren to the family for a total of five.

Bob was a loyal servant to God, first and foremost. He loved the church and loved sharing the love and warmth of our savior, Jesus Christ, with as many people as possible. He was also a strong, kind, loving, and supportive father whose faith and leadership was an example to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Bob joins his parents, six siblings, and his infant son in Heaven. He is survived by many loving family members including his wife, Lydia, five children and their five spouses, 12 grandchildren (five of whom are married), and five great-grandchildren.

The family requests that all flowers and notes are sent to Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery, 6800 S. 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68512.

Celebration of Life services will be held at Countryside Alliance Church, 24005 S. 12th St., Princeton, NE 68404, on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.